21st Annual Student Research Conference
Agriculture in Ancient Greece
Rebekah J. Harmon
Dr. Steven Reschly and Prof. Martha L. Rose, Faculty Mentors
John Deere tractors are valued at 200,000 dollars, and combines cost even more. Agriculture is a big business in today's world, but was it so critical in ancient Greece? One seldom reads about it, and it is not often depicted in art, but the production of food was and is the backbone of Greek society, as I witnessed during the 2007 "Sacred Sites in Greece" study abroad program. My research focuses on the daily life of farmers and agricultural influence on society; much of the first-hand information about rural life comes from two ancient writers, Hesiod and Xenophon. Agriculture was affected by the climate and terrain of the country, available technology, and social status of the landowner. It also played a role in religion. Agriculture was an integral part of Greek culture, so it is crucial to gain an understanding of how farmers lived and worked in ancient times.
Keywords: Greece, Sacred Sites, Hesiod, Agriculture, Ancient, Xenophon
Topic(s):Interdisciplinary
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 8-1
Location: OP 2113
Time: 8:15